fluency and self-sustained reading TEKS talk image

Knowledge and Skills Statement

Developing and sustaining foundational language skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking--self-sustained reading. The student reads grade-appropriate texts independently.

Use anecdotal notes or a checklist when observing the student during small group reading instruction and/or during learning centers. Allow opportunities for the student to self-select texts. For example, observe the student while in learning centers, and check to see what types of books the student is selecting and for how long they interact with the text. During small group instruction, allow the child to select their own books to read and monitor to check if the student can read grade-appropriate texts.

Self-selecting is the act of the student choosing the student’s own book to read based on the student’s interests. It allows the student an opportunity to apply skills learned in other literacy lessons, exposes the student to a broad range of books, and helps the student analyze and understand why the student makes reading choices. Teachers can prompt this behavior by asking questions that lead the student to self-select, completing a presentation of “book teasers,” or giving the student three options from which to choose.
A kindergarten student who can focus on the text in front of the student with little adult assistance is exhibiting self-sustained reading. This can look different from student to student. One student may look at pictures in a book and try to identify known words or letters, while another may read independently in a whisper phone. Teaching self-sustained reading requires lots of practice, significant modeling, clear expectations, and, most importantly, motivation.